To: Sen. John Reed (RI-1)
.@SenJackReed: Renounce Your Support of Cluster Bombs
Just Foreign Policy
Renounce your support of cluster bombs.
Why is this important?
On June 16, the House of Representatives narrowly failed [1] to approve an amendment sponsored by Rep. John Conyers [D-MI] that would have blocked the transfer of U.S. cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia, which has used U.S. cluster bombs in civilian areas in Yemen, in defiance of U.S. law. [2]
Textron, based in Providence, Rhode Island, is the last North American producer of cluster bombs, and has the contract to supply cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. Some opponents of the amendment cited this as a reason for their opposition - banning the transfer of U.S. cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia might hurt the profits of a U.S. company. Rhode Island's Representatives in the House, David Cicilline and Jim Langevin, rejected this argument - they did the right thing and voted yes on the Conyers amendment. [3]
But Rhode Island Democratic Senator Jack Reed is leading the charge to keep the flow of U.S. cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia going. [4]. Textron has been one of Reed's top campaign contributors. [5]
Urge Jack Reed to do the right thing and renounce his support of cluster bombs by signing our petition.
References:
1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/obama-heeding-close-house_b_10516480.html
2. http://www.noclusterbombs.org/news/2016/05/28/transfers-ksa/
3. https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/114/house/2/327
4. http://www.rifuture.org/jack-reed-supports-selling-cluster-bombs-to-saudi-arabia.html
5. http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=Career&cid=n00000362
Textron, based in Providence, Rhode Island, is the last North American producer of cluster bombs, and has the contract to supply cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. Some opponents of the amendment cited this as a reason for their opposition - banning the transfer of U.S. cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia might hurt the profits of a U.S. company. Rhode Island's Representatives in the House, David Cicilline and Jim Langevin, rejected this argument - they did the right thing and voted yes on the Conyers amendment. [3]
But Rhode Island Democratic Senator Jack Reed is leading the charge to keep the flow of U.S. cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia going. [4]. Textron has been one of Reed's top campaign contributors. [5]
Urge Jack Reed to do the right thing and renounce his support of cluster bombs by signing our petition.
References:
1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/obama-heeding-close-house_b_10516480.html
2. http://www.noclusterbombs.org/news/2016/05/28/transfers-ksa/
3. https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/114/house/2/327
4. http://www.rifuture.org/jack-reed-supports-selling-cluster-bombs-to-saudi-arabia.html
5. http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=Career&cid=n00000362